Herpetology - Bonn

Amphibians & Reptiles

The Herpetology Section specialises in amphibians and reptiles from all over the world, but mainly from Europe, Africa, South America, the Middle East and South-East Asia.

Research focuses on taxonomy, diversity, auto-/synoecology, macro-ecology, species conservation, biogeography, species distribution modelling, evolution and phylogenetics.

The constantly growing scientific collection, which currently comprises > 110,000 specimens, is curated by PD Dr Dennis Rödder and Dr Claudia Koch.

Both curators are involved in university teaching and offer seminars, block modules, and excursions for the BSc Biology and OEP MSc degree programmes at the University of Bonn. Final theses (Bachelor/Master) and PhD theses are also supervised.

Innovative methods in morphology, taxonomy, and systematics

Every year, several hundred new amphibian and reptile species are described worldwide. The LIB makes an important contribution to this; since its foundation, type material of more than 700 taxa has been deposited in our section, including over 350 primary types (i.e. holo-, lecto-, and neotypes) and almost 100 syntypes. To identify new species, we use state-of-the-art molecular biology techniques (genetics, genomics, phylogenetics) as well as computer-aided imaging techniques such as µCT-based 3D reconstructions.

Computer-aided analyses in biogeography, evolutionary ecology, and conservation research

We investigate the effects of climate and land-use changes on different time scales, from currently observable distribution shifts and rather short-term distribution dynamics of (invasive) species (several years to decades) to evolutionary adaptations during speciation (several million years). Amphibians and reptiles are particularly suitable for this purpose, as they are highly dependent on environmental factors. Special attention has always been paid to the search for causal ecological mechanisms that determine distribution and abundance patterns in relation to environmental factors. We use the knowledge gained to make forecasts for the future and to become involved in international nature conservation.

Teaching programmes

Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn
Supervision of project work and theses

Bachelor Biology OEP Biology Master PhD programme

OEP-A23 Advanced Bioinformatics in Phylogenetics, Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity research:
- Introduction to Scientific Programming in R (seminar/exercise)
- Introduction to GIS / species distribution modelling (seminar/exercise)
OEP-B30 Advanced Course in Combining Field and Lab Techniques and Methods in Organismic Biology, Evolutionary Biology or Paleobiology
OEP-C02 / WBIO-F-02: Zoogeography and ecology of marine organisms in tropical habitats (with an excursion to the Red Sea, Dahab/Egypt) (Seminar/Excursion)
OEP-C07 Biodiversity of the Tropics, with a Field Trip to Ecuador (Seminar/Excursion)
OEP-B16 Evolution, and Biodiversity of Lower Vertebrates (block course)
OEP-B19 Patterns and Processes Shaping Biodiversity (Seminar)
WBIO-E-01 Free practical courses for BSc Biology

Related collections

Herpetological Collection, Museum Koenig Bonn

Dr. Claudia Koch

Curator Herpetology
Radiation Protection Officer

Phone: +49 228 9122 234
E-Mail: c.koch@leibniz-lib.de

PD Dr. Dennis Rödder

Head of Section Herpetology

Phone: +49 228 9122 252
E-Mail: d.roedder@leibniz-lib.de

["English"] WCH10 — International networking: Members of Herpetology Bonn at the 10th World Congress of Herpetology in Borneo

["English"] Digitales Museum — We use big data and analyze evolutionary and biogeographical patterns

["English"] Polychrus peruvianus — Peruvian Bush Anole (Polychrus peruvianus)

["English"] Epictia antoniogarciai — The blind snake species Epictia antoniogarciai was discovered in 2015 in Cajamarca, Peru by researchers from the Museum Koenig

["English"] Liotyphlops beui — µCT scan of the head of a blind snake (Liotyphlops beui)

Projects

All projects

Evolution of the gecko's adhesive toes
Management: PD Dr. Dennis Rödder
Provenance research at the Museum Koenig
Management: Dr. André Koch

Publications

Complete list of publications since 2011

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2025

2025/07
Rai, T.P., Kaiser, C., Kaiser, H.
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Amplexus between frogs in different families: a microhylid Nilphamarai Narrow-mouthed Frog, Microhyla nilphamariensis Howlader et al., 2015, grasps a Terai Cricket Frog, Minervarya teraiensis (Dubois, 1984), in Nepal
Herpetology Notes, 18
2025/07
Böhme, W., Koppetsch, T., Gabelaia, M., Wipfler, B.
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Fakultatives Eierlegen bei lebendgebärenden Waldeidechsenweibchen, Zootoca vivipara (Lichtenstein, 1823) (Squamata: Lacertidae), in der Kleinen Ungarischen Tiefebene
SAURIA – Zeitschrift für Terraristik & Herpetologie, 2, 47
2025/07
Abrha, A.M., Rödder, D., Gedeon, K., Podsiadlowski, L., Töpfer, T.
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Evaluating the impact of climate change on mountaintop endemic bird species in the Ethiopian highlands: insights from moorland francolin (Scleroptila psilolaema)
Ornithology Research, 1, 33
2025/07
Miguel, A.R., Kaiser, H., Vargas, N.D., Borges-Martins, M.
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Assessing amphibian richness in coastal habitats of Gilé National Park, northern Mozambique, with a key to species identification
Herpetology Notes, 18
2025/07
Böhme, W.
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Krokodile, die nächsten lebenden Verwandten der Vögel
Koenigiana, 19
2025/07
Ullenbruch Jr., K., Böhme, W.
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Eine Rettungsmission per Kleinbus in die algerische Sahara – mit dem VW-Bus des Museum Koenig unterwegs in Nordafrika
Koenigiana, 19
2025/07
Mead, L.R., Piper, A., Alvarado, D.J., Meyers, E., Barker, J., Toledo-Padilla, H., Herraiz, E., Campoamor, A.F., Sealey, M., Caro, M.B., Bañeras, T., Pike, C., Gollock, M., Ravina-Olivares, F., Jacoby, D.M.P.
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Rapid Ocean Warming Drives Sexually Divergent Habitat Use in a Threatened Predatory Marine Ectotherm
Global Change Biology, 2025; 31:e70331
2025/06
López-Rojas, J.J., Solé, M., Lourenço-de-Moraes, R.
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Patterns of endemism and beta diversity in amphibians and reptiles of the Amazon Basin: effects of habitat heterogeneity and anthropic impact
Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2, 145
2025/06
Izaguirres Souza, L., de Jesus Braga, C.V., Roseno, R.S., Diele-Viegas, L.M., Solé, M.
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Bright marks, dark fate: records of predation on Coleodactylus meridionalis Boulenger, 1888 from a movement ecology study in a forest area in southern Bahia, Brazil
Herpetology Notes, 18
2025/06
Al-Sheikhly, O.F., Ahmed, S.H., Ararat, K., Abdulzahra, H.K., Böhme, W., Jablonski, D.
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First documented record of Pseudocerastes persicus (Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854) (Squamata, Viperidae) from Iraq
Check List, 3, 21
2025/06
Ngo, H.N., Nguyen, T.T., Nguyen, H.H., Nguyen, T.Q., Nguyen, H.Q., Ngo, H.T.T., Nguyen, H.T.T., Ha, L.T.T., Grismer, L.L., Rödder, D., Ziegler, T.
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Slipped through the narrow door: Effects of climate change on the distribution and conservation of a vulnerable tiger gecko, Goniurosaurus luii, from China and Vietnam
Nature Conservation, 59
2025/05
Scholten, C., Richter, A., Lin, A., Thura, M.K., Rauhaus, A., Grismer, L., Ziegler, T., Rödder, D.
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Gaps in the Protection of the Reptiles of Myanmar—Threat Status, Endemism, Protected Area Coverage, and One Plan Approach Conservation
Integrative Conservation
2025/05
Hofmann, S., Ohler, A., Baniya, C.B., Dubois, A., Flecks, M., Jablonski, D., Schmidt, J., Dufresnes, C.
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Resolving taxonomic ambiguities in extant Himalayan lazy toads: A new species of the genus Scutiger (Anura, Megophryidae) from eastern Nepal
European Journal of Taxonomy, 989
2025/05
Auliya, M., Nijman, V., Altherr, S., Aguilera, W.T., Ariano-Sanchéz, D., Cantu, J.C., Colosimo, G., Gentile, G., Gerber, G., Grant, T., Henningheim, E., Hughes, A., Knapp, C.R., Lieberman, S., Malone, C., Pasachnik, S.A., Petrossian, G., Sevilla, C., Sosnowski, M., Weissgold, B.
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Trafficking of Galápagos iguanas as an example of a global problem: CITES permits, laundering and the role of transit countries in Europe and Africa
Biological conservation, 305
2025/05
Herrera‐Lopera, J.M., Solé, M., Cultid‐Medina, C.A.
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Mapping the Missing: Assessing Amphibian Sampling Completeness and Overlap With Global Protected Areas
Ecology and Evolution, 5, 15
2025/05
Tiutenko, A., Maliuk, A., Koch, C.
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Generic affinities of African house snakes revised: a new genus for Lamprophis inornatus (Serpentes: Lamprophiidae: Lamprophiinae: Boaedontini)
Salamandra, 2, 61
2025/05
Schwabe, R.C., Wagner, P., Rödder, D., Rauhaus, A., Ziegler, T.
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Agamidae in zoos: assessment of the threat status worldwide and their distribution patterns in zoological collections
Salamandra, 2, 61
2025/05
MIRA-MENDES, C.V.D., NETO, E.M.D.S., DIAS, I.R., COSTA, R.N., CAMPOS, Y.P.P., SOLÉ, M., WEBER, L.N.
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The tadpole of Stereocyclops histrio (Carvalho, 1954) (Anura: Microhylidae), a poorly known amphibian from northeastern Brazil
Zootaxa, 1, 5636
2025/05
Silva, É.F., Barboza Júnior, J.R.M., Dutra, M.L., Barbosa, V.N., França, F.G.R., França, R.C.
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Erythrolamprus mossoroensis (Hoge & Lima Verde, 1973) (Serpentes, Dipsidae): updated distribution, range extension, and new state record from Paraíba, Brazil
Check List, 3, 21
2025/05
Toledo‐Padilla, H., Bañeras‐Bosh, T., Jiménez‐Alvarado, D., Barker, J., Mead, L., Jacoby, D., Reyes, F., Meyers, E.
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Opportunistic predation on juvenile angelsharks Squatina squatina: The greater amberjack Seriola dumerili as a potential threat
Journal of Fish Biology
2025/05
Awasthi, B., Baral, S., Banjade, B.R., Yoxon, G.M., Shrestha, P.M.
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Habitat Selection of the Smooth-Coated Otter (Lutrogale perspicillata) in Shuklaphanta National Park, Nepal
Ecology and Evolution, 15:e71297
2025/05
Patel, M.H., Parmar, D.S.
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Sparks beneath the sea? First record of a lined colour morph in the sea snakes
TAPROBANICA The Journal of Asian Biodiversity, 1, 14
2025/04
Thapa, A., Baral, S., K. C., R.B., Paudel, R.P., Thapa, G.J., Basnet, H., G. C., R., Khanal, K., Dhakal, M., Jnawali, S.R., Thapa, K., Khanal, L.
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Differential vulnerability of key threatened mammals to climate and land cover changes in the Central Himalayas
Ecosphere, 4, 16
2025/04
Yousefkhani, S.S.H., Naser, M., Yaser, A., Essl, F., García-Rodríguez, A., Faizi, H., Qasimova, G., Rödder, D.
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Integrating Spatially-Explicit and Genetic Analyses to Identify Conservation Priorities for Bufo eichwaldi (Amphibia: Anura) in the Hyrcanian Forest
Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research, 2025
2025/04
Alves-Ferreira, G., Heming, N.M., Talora, D., Keitt, T.H., Solé, M., Zamudio, K.R.
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Climate change is projected to shrink phylogenetic endemism of Neotropical frogs
Nature communications, 1, 16

Employees

All employees

Dr. Mark Auliya
ztm Herpetology Bonn Scientist
E-mail: m.auliya@leibniz-lib.de
Suraj Baral
ztm Herpetology Bonn Doctoral candidate
E-mail: s.baral@leibniz-lib.de
Ursula Bott
ztm Herpetology Bonn
Phone: +49 228 9122 249
E-mail: u.bott@leibniz-lib.de
Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Böhme
ztm Herpetology Bonn Scientist, guest
Phone: +49 228 9122 250
E-mail: w.boehme@leibniz-lib.de
Michele Chiacchio
ztm Herpetology Bonn Doctoral candidate
E-mail: m.chiacchio@leibniz-lib.de
Dipl. Biol. Morris Flecks
ztm Herpetology Bonn
Phone: +49 228 9122 254
E-mail: m.flecks@leibniz-lib.de
Dr. Rafaela França
ztm Herpetology Bonn Postdoctoral researcher
Phone: +49 228 9122 253
E-mail: r.franca@leibniz-lib.de
Dr. Philipp Ginal
ztm Herpetology Bonn Postdoctoral researcher
E-mail: philipp.ginal@gmx.de
Dipl. Biol. Timo Hartmann
ztm Animal husbandry Herpetology Bonn Animal keeper
Phone: +49 228 9122 274
E-mail: t.hartmann@leibniz-lib.de
Dr. Sylvia Hofmann
ztm Herpetology Bonn Scientist
Phone: +49 228 9122 253
E-mail: s.hofmann@leibniz-lib.de
Prof. Dr. Hinrich Kaiser
ztm Herpetology Bonn Scientist, guest
E-mail: h.kaiser@leibniz-lib.de
Dr. Claudia Koch
ztm Herpetology Bonn Scientist
Phone: +49 228 9122 234
E-mail: c.koch@leibniz-lib.de
Paul Kornacker
ztm Herpetology Bonn Volunteer employee
E-mail: p.kornacker@leibniz-lib.de
Dr. Markus Lambertz
ztm Herpetology Bonn Postdoctoral researcher
E-mail: m.lambertz@leibniz-lib.de
Eva Meyers
ztm Herpetology Bonn Doctoral candidate
E-mail: e.meyers@leibniz-lib.de
Dikansh S. Parmar
ztm Herpetology Bonn Doctoral candidate
E-mail: d.parmar@leibniz-lib.de
Inna Rech
ztm Animal husbandry Herpetology Bonn Doctoral candidate
Phone: +49 228 9122 253
E-mail: i.rech@leibniz-lib.de
Dr. Jendrian Riedel
ztm Herpetology Bonn Postdoctoral researcher
E-mail: j.riedel@leibniz-lib.de
PD Dr. Dennis Rödder
ztm Herpetology Bonn Scientist
Phone: +49 228 9122 252
E-mail: d.roedder@leibniz-lib.de
Prof. Dr. Mirco Solé
ztm Herpetology Bonn Scientist, guest
E-mail: mksole@uesc.br